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Muxnet UK is celebrating helping to launch the UK’s 50th Small Scale DAB multiplex in Shropshire on 11 March. The first Small Scale DAB multiplex went on air in December 2021, and there has been a steady pace of launches, reaching the 50th landmark in just over two years. The new DAB multiplexes have been licensed across the country, ranging from large city-based multiplexes bringing tens of new radio stations to listeners, to more rural multiplexes. The rate of licensing and build has exceeded the speed of previous licensing initiatives, meaning community and small stations can start their migration from analogue to digital at a time where RAJAR shows analogue listening decline is accelerating.

If you like listening to the radio, it's high time you switched to DAB+. This digital standard, which will be widely deployed in France in 2024, offers much better sound quality than venerable FM. No reason to miss out! Even if it is suffering increasingly from competition from the Internet, and social networking in particular, radio remains a very popular medium. According to Médiamétrie, it still attracts nearly 40 million listeners every day in France, across all stations. Whether at home or even more so in the car, many of us 'switch on the radio', in the morning to get fresh information or during the day, to follow a programme or simply listen to music. And it has to be said that radio has a number of advantages. Not only is it free, but it doesn't take up all our attention: unlike screens, we can enjoy it while doing other things (cooking, cleaning...) or even while working!

Nearly 40 exhibitors and a thousand visitors have attended the ABU’s Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2024. The theme for the 20th edition of DBS was ‘Navigating AI Horizon’, exploring the opportunities and challenges of generative AI. The event was held at Royale Chulan hotel in Kuala Lumpur on 4-7 March. DBS2024 was officially opened by Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Communication Teo Nie Ching, who delivered the keynote address. She said broadcasters should be mindful of their ethical and social responsibilities when using generative AI, and in responding to issues such as algorithm bias. She also visited the exhibition booths and spoke to sponsors. WorldDAB held an expert DAB+ seminar and hosted a digital radio pavilion with WorldDAB members AVT, GatesAir, Paneda and RadioDNS joining the pavilion.

Gamma Radio is once again expanding its signal. The historic Milanese broadcaster, now part of the Radio Number One group, arrived in Turin on DAB+ a few days ago. It can be heard on the CrDab mux, channel 10D. In Lombardy, Gamma Radio broadcasts in FM, and on digital, it is present in the same mux (CrDab), channel 6A. Returning to Piedmont, CrDab has been hosting the local ToRadio for a few days.

Towercom has recently obtained a new operating licence for a digital radio broadcasting (DAB+) transmitter in central Slovakia, SatelitnáTV.sk has learned. Specifically, it is the transmitter Banská Bystrica - Suchá hora. According to the issued permit, which came into force at the end of 2023 and is valid until the end of 2024, the operator can also distribute digital radio broadcasts from this transmitter on channel 12A (223.936 MHz) with a maximum permitted power of 15 kW. If put into operation, this would be the operator's most powerful DAB+ transmitter. Not to mention the fact that the transmitter is at an altitude of 1,223 m above sea level.

Tone Community Media Group, operator of ToneFM, is getting ready to launch a new small-scale DAB multiplex in the coming weeks. The station is now looking for anyone interested in being on the multiplex to get in touch. Group Director Patch Jobson is pleased that the group has now reached the point where applications can be made. "With this new addition to Taunton we’re really excited and looking forward to bringing a range of services to a great listener community. As a traditional market town, our listeners are still very much big radio fans, and if we can enhance that experience that can only be a good thing."

Just like the Christian radio station Rádio Proglas, the religious Rádio 7 also expects to broadcast nationwide via DAB+ technology. However, it is distinguished from Proglas by the fact that operators other than RTI cz and Teleko digital may eventually enter the game. Daniel Zeman, chief engineer and managing director of TWR Live, told Digital Radio. "The intention of Radio 7 in the DAB+ area remains the same, i.e. the full coverage of the Czech Republic, as is ultimately determined by the licence. On the one hand, we welcome the expansion of the DAB+ signal within the new multiplexes to areas not yet covered, but on the other hand, this naturally also means an increase in financial requirements," Zeman told our editorial office, adding that the costs of distribution represent a significant part of the overall budget.

The WorldDAB group is releasing an “expert guide to successful DAB+ field trials,” conveniently entitled “DAB+ Digital Radio: A Guide to a Successful Field Trial.” The release coincides with WorldDAB’s DAB+ seminar at the ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The group points to growing interest in DAB+ broadcasting and feels the guide will help in “establishing a successful field trial — a key step in laying the groundwork for a future rollout, and fully implementing digital broadcast radio.” Topics covered include motivation, stakeholder engagement, regulatory and licensing, equipment, Technical aspects including drive testing for coverage checks and feature testing and how to conclude field trials activities. The guide is free.

PRIMAL.FM is a new radio station for "young adults and adults who are young at heart". On 4 March 2024 at exactly 10:00, it went on air in the Dresden local mux and now aims to bring a "fresh musical breeze to the local radio landscape" for the target group of 14-39 year olds with authentic presenters and DJs. The new programme aims to offer a wide range of current charts, with a focus on the hardstyle and EDM genres, i.e. high-energy beats and the latest tracks from the world of electronic music with carefully selected mainstream tracks. With this mix of music, the station aims to offer diversity while remaining true to the core of the brand.

Radio station 4EVER49 RADIO can now be better received via DAB+ in the provinces of Noord-Holland, Flevoland and Friesland. From 6 March, 4EVER49 RADIO can also be heard on channel 8B in North Holland and Flevoland. In Friesland, the radio station can now also be heard on channel 5A. 4EVER49 RADIO already broadcasts nationwide on DAB+ via MTVNL's network in the Netherlands on channel 7D. Hans Dols, Operations Manager 4EVER49 RADIO: "After several discussions with the parties JND and RNN, we agreed to take over capacity on three networks. We are pleased with this cooperation which means that 4EVER49 RADIO can now be received almost nationwide."